


Ember's Journey

by Mirica199



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:27:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27081901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirica199/pseuds/Mirica199
Summary: When a traumatic event shakes Ember, she runs away from her old village to escape the fights. But what happened to make her run away, and what happened after?





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> this is the story that I mentioned at the beginning of Noble's story  
> this time it's focused on my Raboot OC and her backstory

Fresh, green fields ran across for seemingly miles. The bright sun fell down across the earth, seemingly making the grass glow greener than normal. Outside the small village, three Fire Type Pokemon were together. All about the same age, all friends, all having fun together.

"Kick it, Sophie!" One of the Pokemon, a Kantonian Vulpix with six fluffy tails, yelled to a Scorbunny who was kicking a rock with her feet.

"Yeah! Kick it!" The other Pokemon, a Growlithe, chirped. Sophie nodded, then kicked the rock as hard as she could, and it burst into a small amount of flames. The rock flew a small distance before landing on the ground, steaming a bit.

"Wow!" The Vulpix and Growlithe awed as Sophie smiled proudly. "That was great!"

"Thanks!" Sophie smiled sweetly at the two as they ran up to her.

"You gonna teach those moves to your little sister?" The Vulpix asked.

"Of course! When she's old enough..." Sophie replied.

"Has it really been a few days already? You think you'll get used to having a sister?" The Growlithe tilted his head.

"Yeah...my mother has mostly been taking care of her."

"Why wouldn't she? I remember my big brother telling me when I was born my mother wouldn't stop fawning over me!" The Vulpix piped up.

"That happens every time new Pokemon are born and they have a big sibling. Do you think we get ignored?" The Growlithe asked.

"Well...my mother said that no matter how many children that come into this world she'll still love me either way. I think that the same goes for all of us!" The Vulpix replied.

"You have about six older brothers." Sophie replied seemingly flatly.

"Yeah..." The Vulpix's ears drooped.

"How come she hasn't gotten a name yet?" The Growlithe wondered.

"Well...I don't really think they thought of one in time? It didn't help when my mother passed out..." Sophie's voice trailed away.

"You are gonna be the best big sister to her you can be. I know it!" The Vulpix smiled.

Hearing that, Sophie smiled back at her. "Thanks."

"It's not a problem!" The Vulpix chirped.

And so the three kids continued to play, showing off their fire powers and just having a lot of fun, like kids their age normally do. And they kept playing until near the end of the day, where the sun set and it was time for everyone to go home.

The moon had risen across the village, and by now, everyone had fallen asleep. Well, almost everyone had fallen asleep. Sophie was in her house, nestled beside two other Pokemon. A Cinderace who was pretty much very content in the sleeping state she was in, and a small, fluffy Scorbunny, who was her little sister. Even after a few days had passed she was still as adorable as she said when she met her for the first time.

Sophie knelt beside her, and she could feel her instantly prick up upon feeling her beside her. The little one let out a squeak as she nuzzled herself into Sophie's fur, and she couldn't help but to smile upon seeing that. She truly was her little sister, and she wasn't going to let anything hurt her.

"Hey...mother?" Sophie whispered, as quiet as she could be. The Cinderace's ears pricked up as her eyes opened a bit. She gazed at her eldest daughter, tiredness, content and warmth in her gaze.

"Yes, Sophie?" Her voice was just as quiet as her's.

"Did you name my little sister yet?" Sophie asked.

"...yes. We named her Ember."

"Ember..."

"Yes...now, get to sleep. You have a long day tomorrow." Her eyes shut and she drifted off back to sleep.

Sophie stared at her little sister, the tiny Scorbunny still curled up beside her. "Ember..." She repeated, before smiling. "Ember, I promise I'll be the best big sister to you I can be." As if it was a reply, Ember let out another squeak.

Lowering her head, Sophie curled up herself and let sleep wash over her, Ember's fluffy fur seemingly making her drift off faster. Yes...she would be the best big sister to her she could be. And she wouldn't let anyone change that.


	2. Happiness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaa I'm so sorry it took almost two months for a new chapter  
> I've had no motivation due to school and other things that have been happening  
> I do have ideas for how the next chapters will go tho

Many years passed since Ember was born. And in those many years, lots of extraordinary things happened. Ember got to grow up and make lots of friends, Sophie fully evolved into Cinderace, and life in the little village went on as normal.

For the most part, Ember was happy. She had a caring mother, a cool big sister, and friends who loved and supported her. Her father, she didn't see him as often as she would like. But at the same time she wasn't surprised by that. Her father was the leader of the village, after all! A strong and reliable Houndoom, who was always there when Pokemon wanted him.

Ember could tell that he loved her. The proud glint he had in his eyes whenever she or Sophie accomplished something are moments that she'd treasure for a long time. Even if they didn't live in the same house he still loved and cared for them, and Ember knew that.

One morning, the sun had risen over the house she lived in. The sunbeams shone through the windows, hitting her face and stirring her awake. Her ears twitched as she yawned. "Good morning..."  
"Morning!" Sophie chirped, her mother slowly awakening beside her.

Once the family had eaten and gotten ready, Sophie ran out of the door that lead to outside. She stopped, gazing ahead at all the Pokemon who lived in the little village. She recognized a Ninetales with nine fluffy tails and an Arcanine, two of Sophie's friends from when she was young.

"Good morning!" She chirped, and the Ninetales and the Arcanine turned to look at her.

"Morning, Ember!" They called. Smiling sweetly, Ember ran off into the district of the village in front of her. Multiple Pokemon were already around, and they were all just living their normal lives. Ember watched the Pokemon, her eyes glistening and her ears pricked up.

"There seems to be a lot of Pokemon out today..." She whispered to herself. Her ears pricked as she gazed around, seeing the multitude of Pokemon who were just having a great time. Her eyes shone brightly, she had high hopes for her own future. Maybe she’d be considered a hero around here!

“Hey, Ember!” A new voice suddenly spoke. Turning, Ember saw a Growlithe run up to her. It was Hugo, the son of the Ninetales and Arcanine who Sophie was friends with when she was young. He was a bit older than her, but they were childhood friends and loved to play together.

“Morning!” Ember’s ears twitched in greeting.

Hugo’s eyes were filled with love as he spoke. “So...what do you want to do today? Hang around the village, or go out into the forest?”

“We shouldn’t be going into the forest unless we are going out for a raid. And...we’re not ready for a raid.” Ember spoke.

Sometimes, a few Pokemon from the village would sneak out into a neighbouring village to steal supplies so they can live. The Pokemon from the neighbouring village were all powerful and ruthless, and when they realized they had been robbed, they’d fly into a frenzy and challenge the other Pokemon to a battle. The battles were normally brutal, ending in several Pokemon wounded, until either one of the villages retreated.

Ember knew that sometimes, Sophie would go out to fight. Her quick thinking, agility and sharp moves made her quite a powerful ally. It was Ember’s dream to be like her, and the two were as close as sisters could be.

“What’s going on?” A new voice asked. Ember gasped as she spun her head around, Sophie walking up to them and standing beside them, her ears perked up.

“Oh...oh! Sophie!” Hugo bowed his head in a panic.

“Sister!” Ember squealed, running up to Sophie in a hug.

“Hiya, Ember.” Sophie smiled, before turning to Hugo. “What were you talking about? Not trying to be with my little sister again?”

“N...no, I was just--”

“Hugo, Ember is never going to choose a feisty, brash, too reckless for his own good type like you. She’ll make her own choice.”

“She practically has to choose me! What do you want her to choose, a Water Type?!”

“She’ll choose who she wants when she grows up, but I know she isn’t going to choose you. You’re always chasing after her!”

Hugo growled as he looked away, visibly embarrassed. Ember looked at him, before turning back to Sophie. “So what are we gonna do today? Run in the meadow? Help others?”

Sophie’s amber eyes shone as she spoke. “The meadow sounds nice. It’s nice and sunny, and we could both use some time to run.”

“Alright!” Ember leaped with joy. She ran ahead for a bit before Hugo’s voice sounded and made her stop to a halt.

“Can...can I come as well?” He asked, a loving glance in his eyes. “I wouldn’t mind spending a bit more time with Ember…”

“Hugo, I feel like just spending time with me and my sister.” Ember felt a sudden pang of guilt seeing the Growlithe’s ears droop in sorrow. “But maybe one day we can hang out?”

“Like a date?!” Hugo’s ears perked up, his eyes growing hopeful.

“No…” Ember tried to sound as gentle as she could, but she saw the hope die away in Hugo’s eyes. He looked down, disappointed.

“It’s fine, it’s fine…” He muttered. “It’s not like I wanted to hang out with you anyway...I’ll just ask you another time…” And then he turned and sulked off, his tail vanishing behind the corner.

Ember watched him leave, before turning to Sophie. “Will I ever get to fall in love one day?”

“Maybe.” And with that reply, Ember and Sophie began to walk toward the meadow that adorned the village. Fresh green grass sprouted up from seemingly everywhere, making Ember’s eyes widen by how pretty it was.

She found herself looking up at Sophie once again. “Do you want to fall in love?”

“Eh, I’ve never really thought about it. It would be nice, though. I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life with someone who cares about me…”

“Hopscorch cares about you!” Ember chirped.

“Yeah, he does. Blaise is a pretty nice guy as well…”

“But doesn’t one of them like Angimirta?”

“Maybe. I can see why. She’s strong, confident, and always ready for a challenge. She’s a nice girl.”

“Wasn’t she your friend when I was a few years old? When you had evolved for the first time?”

“Yeah! I was her sparring partner.”

“Wow…” Ember’s eyes grew wide as Sophie spoke. She really admired her, and wanted to be just like her when she was older. She ran ahead a few paces, stopping to turn back to her. “Come on!”

“Alright, alright!” In a few seconds, Sophie was right beside Ember, and Ember was impressed at just how fast her older sister was.

“You’re fast!”

“Hey, you’re fast as well.”

“I bet I can be faster than you!” Ember turned to a nearby tree. “I’ll race you to that tree!”

“Really now?” Sophie’s eyes flickered with curiosity. “I’d like to see you try.”

“Alright!” Ember leapt up in joy, before breaking into a run. The grass blazed past her as she ran, the tree getting closer and closer to her…and then in just a few seconds a blur of white suddenly shot past her as Sophie overtook her and reached the tree in a matter of seconds.

“Wh--” Ember gasped. It took her a couple of seconds later to reach the tree where Sophie was standing. “H...how are you so fast?”

“Our kind just are. Hey, cheer up, Ember. You’ll be as fast as me one day, I know it.” Sophie reached down to put a paw on Ember’s head, and her little sister gazed up at her, orange eyes filled with admiration.

“Someday I’m gonna be like you.” She declared. “Strong, confident and brave, powerful enough to topple those around us!”

“Really?” Sophie smirked. Then, the smirk was replaced with a warm smile. “You know...if you really set your mind to it, you can do it.”

“So I can be just as strong as you?”

“With time, patience and dedication, yes. You’ll become just as strong as me in the future. I know it.”

With a bright beaming smile, Ember leapt up in sheer happiness, letting out a happy cheer. “Yes! I knew it! I will be just like you in the future! And I’ll show everyone just how great we can truly be!”

Smirking, Sophie ran up to Ember, pulling her into a hug. Ember squealed as the two fell onto the grass, laughing as the sun shone down on the both of them. It was just the two of them, the older and younger sister playing in the bright green meadow and having a good time.

Eventually, it ended with the two lying on the ground, the sun shining in the sky as bright as the stars at night. Ember gazed up at the clouds swimming across the never ending blue sky, before turning to Sophie.

“I love you, Sophie.”

“And I love you too.”

“We’ll be together forever, won’t we?”

“Always.” Sophie put an arm around Ember, bringing her in closer. Ember let herself be content in her older sister’s embrace, eyes closing in bliss.

A few hours later, the duo returned home, and before they knew it, it was night. The moon shone in the sky above, as Ember lay close to Sophie in the nest where they slept. Their mother was sleeping soundly in the nest beside them, and the sisters were huddled together.

Ember opened her eyes to look at Sophie, who’s eyes were closed and her ears drooping. Ember couldn’t help but to smile, knowing that what they said this morning was true. No matter what happened, they’d be together forever.

“Goodnight, sis.” Ember muttered, before letting her eyes close and allowing sleep to consume her. Yes, they’d truly be together, no matter what happened…

...if only life was that simple...


	3. The Raid

“Are you sure about this?”

“They stole our supplies! They stole the food we need to make us last through the cold season! We need to take them back!”

Ember was awoken a few months later by the sound of her father arguing with someone. Slowly entering the room where she heard the shouts from, she gasped silently seeing a Houndoom and an Emboar in the same room. Reaper, her own father and the leader of the village, and Blaise, the one who Sophie seemed to like, and they seemed to be pretty heated.

“But...the village we’re gonna raid has been pretty cranky as of recently! They won’t take this lightly.” Blaise spoke.

“And?!” Reaper snarled. “We need to reclaim our supplies! The supplies that were unforgivingly stolen from us!”

“Well, who do you suppose we take?!”

“You, of course! You pack a punch, you can plow down some of the enemies we face! Agnimitra as well, her quick thinking can be helpful. And of course there’s Flicker and Brenton, they can be good help as well. And…”

“Are you sure we’ll be fine doing this? They’ve been aggressive lately.”

“Does it look like I’ll let anyone die?!” Reaper went up close to Blaise as he spoke. “I am the leader of the village, I don’t let anyone die on my watch!” He noticed Blaise’s eyes grow uncomfortable. “Ugh...I’m sorry, I’m just stressed.”

“It’s fine…” Blaise squeaked.

“Anyway, who else do we take? I know. We’ll take Mishal for his cleverness, Sophie for her agility and Azar for his defenses. How does that sound?!”

Hearing that, Ember felt her blood seemingly stop. Sophie was going to be going for a raid? Blaise seemed to speak her thoughts, because he spoke when Reaper had finished talking.

“S...Sophie? Your own daughter?”

“She is my daughter, yes. Yes, I love her. But her agility and fast movements could be a big help for us. She’s been in tougher fights than this and came out with only a few wounds. She’ll be fine. All of us will be fine.”

Blaise didn’t reply. Ember figured he didn’t need to reply. Reaper began to speak again. “So. Let us also take Pepper and Flint, they could be helpful as well.”

“Who knows how many Pokemon we could be facing! Why not take our strongest members?”

“What if the strongest members get seriously hurt or worse?”

Reaper locked eyes with Blaise for a few seconds. Then, the hard expression he had on his face sank. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m just stressed out by this. The announcement came so suddenly and I hardly had time to think before…”

“It’s alright, it’s alright.” Blaise’s voice reeked with sympathy. “You’re a wonderful leader to us all. We couldn’t have asked for a better leader. Sophie and Ember couldn’t have asked for a better father. I understand if you don’t want to do this, but we need to. We’ll be fine, Reaper. We’ll be fine.”

Reaper smiled a small smile. “Thanks, Blaise.” He then stepped back and turned to him. “So. You, Angimirta, Flicker, Brenton, Mishal, Sophie, Azar, Pepper and Flint. Does that sound alright?”

“Yes. Yes it does.”

“Good. I’ll go talk to Sophie about this. You can go and prepare. I’ll go tell the others after I tell Sophie.” Blaise nodded and exited the house, then Reaper turned behind him. “Sophie?!”

“Yes, dad?!” Sophie shouted from the other room.

“Come here! There’s something I need to talk to you about!”

“Alright, alright!” Sophie sounded slightly irritated. Ember closed the door, and went a bit into her room, sitting down. She knew Sophie sometimes went out to raids, and the most injured she got was a few battle scars. It always worried Ember whenever she left, but she always came back just fine.

Ember always loved hearing the stories about the battles Sophie had. It really inspired her to do her best for the future. But she couldn’t help but to worry whenever she left. What if one day she came back heavily wounded? No...she shouldn’t think like that! Sophie was her sister, she could handle anything!

She pressed her ear to the door, trying to listen to the conversation that was happening. But all she could hear was faint muffles from both her father and her older sister. She could hear a determined tone in Sophie’s voice and Reaper speaking calmly, but she couldn’t actually make out a lot.

Eventually, she stepped away from the door, sitting down on the floor. What even happened during a raid? It had to be rough, considering the scars that Pokemon get after the battle. She wouldn’t mind finding out, even if it was risky, considering how young she was and how dangerous raids could be.

It seemed to be hours before Ember realized the talking had suddenly stopped. Perking up, Ember walked toward the door and opened it. Reaper and Sophie had stopped talking, but they turned to look at Ember.

“Ember!” Sophie gasped.

“How long have you been standing there?” Reaper asked.

“I...I overheard the conversation. I was curious.” Ember admitted.

Reaper and Sophie stared at Ember for a few seconds, before Reaper let out a defeated sigh. “You would’ve known anyway…” He then turned to his eldest daughter. “Come on, Sophie. You need to get ready.” He then stood up and walked out of the door to outside, seemingly going to tell everyone else.

Sophie nodded, and then turned to look at Ember. “It’ll be fine, Ember. I’ve come back alive all the other times, haven’t I?”

Hearing that, Ember’s eyes glew with hope. “Y...yes! Yes you have!”

Sophie smiled warmly at her. “That’s my little sister. Always cheerful and always happy.” She put a paw on Ember’s head, making her smile brighter than before.

A couple of hours passed, and Ember was outside by now. She was sitting on a hill, gazing into the sky, watching the clouds roll by. And before Ember knew it, she wasn’t alone. She felt another body sit beside her, and she turned to look at who it was.

“Hugo?” She gasped. “What are you doing here?”

The Growlithe turned to look at Ember. “I...I just came to see how you were doing. You thinking about what happened this morning?”

“Y...yes.” Ember looked down, seemingly worried. “I...I’m a bit nervous.”

“Why? Sophie’s always come back from battles, she’ll come back from this battle.”

“What if she gets heavily wounded?”

“She’ll recover! She’s strong, confident and brave…” Hugo turned to look at Ember in the eyes. “Just like you.” A small blush crept up on his face as he turned away, embarrassed.

“Thanks!” Ember chirped. “I wanna be just like her when I’m older!”

“And you’re shaping up to be just like her! Look at you! You’re pretty much a younger version of her!” Hugo couldn’t help but to smile upon saying that.

Ember smiled sweetly at him. Even if he was reckless and brash, he genuinely cared about her. She didn’t feel the same way for him, but he was a good friend who was always there to support her. “Thanks, Hugo.”

“It’s...it’s not a problem! I just like seeing you happy.” Hugo replied.  
For the next few minutes, it was just Hugo and Ember sitting on the hill. All was calm and peaceful. Ember turned to Hugo, and knew that while she could never love him back, it was nice to know that he was there for her whenever she was feeling down.

Eventually, though, they had to return to the village. And a few hours later, the raid party was just about to set off. Ember stared ahead at the Pokemon who were going; Blaise’s flames were burning hotter than ever, Agnimitra’s eyes were burning with determination, Flicker and Brenton looked at each other, Mishal and Azar were ready and Pepper and Flint stood tall and proud.

Sophie was beside Ember, gazing ahead at the raid party. Ember looked up at her. “Do you have to go?”

Hearing her small voice, Sophie looked down and gave Ember a gentle smile. “I’ll be fine. I promise.” She then picked Ember up into a hug, Ember happily accepting and embracing her back.

“You’ll come back. You’ll always come back!” Ember chirped.

“Yes, I know, I’ll come back. Don’t worry.” Sophie gently set Ember on the ground and put a paw on her head again. “Take care, Ember.”

“Goodbye!” Ember chirped, watching Sophie run to join the raid party. But as she ran, Ember couldn’t help but to think…what was it like being in the middle of a raid? It had to be exciting, and she knew it wasn’t allowed to sneak out of the village during a raid. But she was curious, she wanted to know what it was like.

So she waited a few minutes after the raid party left, and then she ran. Out of the village, through the meadow, and into the forest where the neighbouring village was.

Tall trees obscured her view, as Ember looked around the forest. She hadn’t been in the forest before, and she felt quite nervous. But she had come too far to give up now, she’d just have a quick look before going back.

Where did everyone even go? The forest was so big and surrounding, they could be anywhere! Who knew where they were? Ember stopped in her tracks, ears pricked as she listened out for danger. She couldn’t hear anything aside from the rustling of leaves, the breeze rushing past her body…

And then she heard it. A sudden scream. Turning to the direction to the scream, Ember knew all at once that was the raid. Heart pounding with anticipation, she ran toward the scream, and she could hear other noises as she ran. Fighting, flames burning, screeches, and the occasional yelp of pain…

...and then the ground suddenly ceased to exist. Ember screamed as she fell and hit the hard surface of the cliff, skidding down until she felt soft grass envelop her. She groaned as she sat up, only for her eyes to widen and for her ears to droop.

Because she had found herself in what she could only describe to be an actual warzone.


	4. Tragic Endings and New Beginnings

To Ember, chaos erupted at that moment. Screams erupted from multiple Pokemon as they attacked each other ruthlessly. Backing up until she reached a tree, Ember suddenly wished she had never left, she didn’t know it would be this brutal! Many Pokemon were bleeding and some were heavily scarred.

She recognized Angimitar skidding on the ground, the Pyroar bleeding from a wound near her neck. She snarled at a Mightyena, who was snarling right back at her. “Hunter!” She roared. “How dare you take our supplies?! We need them for winter!”

“When we win, your supplies will just be another property of us.” Hunter leapt at Angimitar in an attempt to bite at her throat, but she shook him off.

“You’re weak and pathetic. That’s why we’ll win.” Angimitar taunted. Hearing that, Hunter screamed as he attempted to leap right at Angimitar, but the Pyroar turned tail and ran away, Hunter quickly giving chase.

Ember watched the scene, horrified. Blood stained the grass as the Pokemon screeched, ripping at each other with brutal strength. She saw Flicker stumble briefly and for a horrifying moment she thought she was going to collapse. But she shook herself and galloped off, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Flint!” Pepper yelled. “I don’t know how much longer I can--” Before she could finish she got struck by an attack from a nearby gang of Pokemon. She turned to use Flame Burst on the gang before making an escape. 

It was then that Ember knew she had to get out of here. She picked herself up and attempted to run off, but she heard footsteps. She turned around and screamed, seeing an Arbok suddenly spring out of the bushes and landing beside Ember.

Her eyes shot open with fear, seeing the sharp teeth flash and him suddenly diving toward her with the intent of giving her a venomous bite, and she felt her heart stop for a brief moment.

“Rattle!”

The Arbok turned behind him, and Ember opened her eyes to see a powerful looking Salamence right beside the Arbok. “Let her go.”

“She’s a part of the raid group! She should be taught a lesson!”

“She is a child, Rattle! Let her go!”

“Why is a child even here?! Children aren’t allowed to join raid parties! She deserves this for breaking the rules!”

“Rattle. Do I need to tell you this again?! Let her go. Now.” The Salamence’s voice was hard, and the Arbok groaned in defeat. He slithered away from the scene, vanishing into some bushes.

The Salamence nodded, before turning to Ember, her eyes wide with fear. “Child. What are you doing here? You know children aren’t allowed in raid parties.”

“I...I...I was curious…” Ember squeaked.

“Children…” The Salamence shook his head, before looking back at Ember. “You need to leave. It’s dangerous for kids like you to be out here.”

“You mean…” Ember choked out, panic still gripping at her body.

“Yes. I’ll spare you. Now, go! Before anyone sees you!” The Salamence’s voice suddenly turned harsh, and Ember found herself struggling to stand before she broke into a dash.

The screeches of the battle grew further and further away as Ember ran further from the raid. Did she even know which way she had came? Her breathing grew heavy as she ran, desperate to find where she had come from. Where abouts in the forest even was she? Did she even know that?

And just then there was a powerful shriek that echoed through the sky, gazing up, Ember hardly had time to react before grey blur suddenly shot down and grabbed ahold of her. Ember felt herself being lifted up, sharp talons gripping at her body as the ground got further and further…

...but she didn’t get very high. For suddenly, a flaming fireball suddenly shot right out nowhere landing directly into the Skarmory. The Skarmory shrieked and dropped Ember as well, and Ember felt herself fall, before she was suddenly caught by someone. Groaning as her eyes opened, Ember turned to see who her savior was.

“Sophie…?” She gasped.

“Ember?! What are you doing here?!” To her surprise, Sophie didn’t sound angry at all. She just sounded very surprised.

“I...I wanted to see what raids were like and…”

“Oh, Ember, that doesn’t matter! We need to go! Now!” She ran ahead a few paces before turning back to Ember. “Follow me! Now!”

Ember nodded and stood up, dashing after her older sister. Panic was swallowing her body as she ran. She almost died. If Sophie had not interfered with that Skarmory she would’ve died. She breathed a sigh of relief as she ran, being grateful that she was saved at that moment.

But still...if she hadn’t gone she wouldn’t have almost died at all. She regretted it. She regretted going out when she could still be in her home. She didn’t want to be in this forest in the middle of a brutal battle anymore, she wanted to be home! She didn’t want to see any more blood for the rest of the day, she just wanted to be in the comfort of the village she was familiar with.

A flurry of thoughts seemed to consume Ember as she ran. Was she afraid? Was she sad? Was she guilty? Or was she angry with herself that she almost let herself die? She shook her head, desperate to keep running so she could be home…

...and then she screamed, feeling herself trip and collapse on the ground. She lifted her head, eyes widening with panic. Where was Sophie? Surely she heard her scream when she tripped? She stood up and gazed around the dense forest clearing she was in. She didn’t remember crossing here when she was running toward the raid…

She stood still for a few seconds, trying to make out if Sophie was coming back for her, trying to make out where she was. But then, her ears twitched as she heard a hiss. She turned around, her eyes falling on a bush that was rustling.

“Hello?” She whispered, trying to see who the hiss was.

“Hello, child. We meet again.” Ember instantly recognized the voice and her heart grew as hard as rock. “This time...I won’t let you escape!”

And then an Arbok shot out of the bushes, the same Arbok from before. His teeth were bared and sharp, venom leaking out of them. Ember tried to move, but her body felt as cold as ice. No matter how hard she tried, she felt like she couldn’t move at all.

All she could do was watch, the Arbok flying closer and closer, the teeth shining in the light and her heart stop for the second time that day…

“Ember!”

And then she felt someone smash right into her body, causing Ember to skid on the grass. A scream ripped through the air as Ember’s eyes widened. Her head lifted, and Ember felt the scream that exploded in her throat die down as she stared in absolute horror.

The Arbok had bitten right into Sophie’s shoulder, the teeth sinking in deep. Sophie screamed in pain as Ember finally allowed it within her to scream. “Sophie!” Eventually, the Arbok leapt off her and gave her a wicked glance, as Sophie knelt on the floor, breathing hard as she put a paw on the bite mark, blood running down her shoulder which Rattle had bitten.

“No!” Ember screamed, running up to Sophie, but she didn’t get very far before Rattle suddenly wrapped around her, putting her in her coils. Gasping in pain, Ember felt herself go numb upon seeing Rattle put his face in front of her’s.

“Now I can kill you without any consequences. So what if Draco told me not to kill children? I can easily do it while he isn’t looking.” He hissed.

Ember tried to open her mouth to speak, but all she could do was choke out, the coils getting tighter and tighter. “I could finish you off now, but it’s better to watch you suffer. At least I won’t get caught.”

Ember turned to Sophie, who was still kneeling in pain, before turning back to Rattle. “And then, I can easily lie to him about what I did. That it wasn’t me who did it.” The coils were so tight by now that Ember was sure she was going to pass out at any moment. “Better to be safe than sorry, no--”

And then suddenly a black blur slammed into Rattle, mouth cloaked with fire. Rattle shrieked and unwrapped Ember, allowing her to collapse on the floor. Looking up, Ember gasped, seeing Reaper stand above her, a furious look in his eyes.

“I swear to Arceus, if you hurt my daughters again, I will end you right here. Understand?!” Reaper snarled.

“R...Reaper! This is a misunderstanding, I was just…” Rattle’s voice trailed away, seeing the enraged glint in Reaper’s eyes. “I gotta go!” He then turned tail and slithered into the bushes, vanishing with a rustle.

Reaper breathed a sigh of relief, turning to Ember. “You alright?”

“I...I think--” Ember started, but was broke off by a scream of pain. Whipping her head around, Ember felt every part of her body drop seeing that Sophie had collapsed on the ground, her whole body shivering. “Sophie!” Ember yelled, racing up to her, only to find herself freezing.

She was trembling, blood running down from the wound in her shoulder and from her mouth. Her eyes half open and pained, Ember flinched hearing her cry in pain once again. “Sophie!” Reaper bounded up beside his eldest daughter, eyes wide and distraught.

Ember turned up to him in a panic. “She’s hurt! You have to help her!”

“Ember, there’s…”

“Dad, you have to help her! Please!”

Reaper hesitated for a moment, before his head dropped. “The venom has already entered her body. There’s nothing we can do.”

“What?!” Ember choked out, turning back to her sister, her body still shaking. “There’s got to be something you can do!”

Reaper didn’t try to reply this time. Ember turned back to him for a moment, before turning back to Sophie, who gathered just enough strength to raise her head. “E...Ember?”

“Sophie…” Ember squeaked. Sophie raised a paw to put on Ember’s face, and despite the pain she was enduring, she smiled. But Ember could still see all the pain in her eyes, and she could see that fatigue was taking over the light in her eyes.

Nothing that Ember could’ve said would’ve done anything, and she knew that. She watched helplessly as her sister’s paw limply fell from her face, and her head lowered to the ground. Her body shook for a few more moments, before eventually, the shaking died down altogether. Her eyes were half open and sightless.

“Sophie…?” Ember whispered, gently nudging her sister. But she didn’t move. She turned back to Reaper, who looked away, tears gripping at his eyes. Paralysed, Ember turned back to Sophie, who lay there motionless.

“Sophie, please...wake up…” Ember begged, nudging her sister in an attempt to see if she would stir. “We...we’ve got to go home...you promised you’d take me home! Please, wake up!”

“She isn’t going to wake up.” Reaper said coldly. “She’s dead, Ember.”

Ember didn’t want to reply to her father. She let out a scream of grief as she buried her head into her fur, almost as if she thought her own tears could bring her back somehow. Muffled sobs escaped from Ember as she wailed into her dead sister, and for a few moments, that was the only sound that was heard from the clearing.

It felt like hours before Ember raised her head. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t ran away to see the raid she’d still be here.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Ember. No one would have guessed that Arbok would attack like that.” Reaper replied.

“But it was.” Ember pressed her fur against Sophie’s, which was going cold. “It absolutely was.”

A few hours passed, and the battle was over. Both of the villages returned home. And Ember’s village went into mourning.

It was a big funeral. The leader of the village lost his daughter. The whole village mourned for her, thinking about how young and brave she was and how she didn’t deserve to die so soon. Reaper reassured everyone that she died bravely, giving her own life so Ember could live.

But as far as Ember was concerned, she was the reason why Sophie died. Surely if she didn’t sneak off to see the raid Sophie would still be alive? When the funeral was over, she lay on the nest which she slept in, all alone. It felt empty not sleeping beside her older sister anymore.

She wasn’t sure how long she lay there before she heard her mother’s voice. “Ember?” It was cracked with grief, but she still recognized it. Either way, Ember didn’t reply, too consumed in her own grief.

“There’s someone here to see you.” Ember’s mother called. Ember still didn’t reply. Just then, she felt a new presence run up to her and sit beside her.

“Ember?” It was Hugo. Ember just turned away from him; she didn’t need him at the moment.

“I...I just wanted to say, I’m so sorry for what happened.” Hugo spoke. Ember didn’t reply, she just looked away from him, grief clouding her eyes. 

“C...can I help you in any way?” Hugo asked.

“The most you can do for me right now is for you to go away.” Ember replied harshly.

Hugo gasped, taken aback by the reply, and stepped back. She heard her mother’s voice speak behind her. “She’s grieving, Hugo. Just give her time.” Hugo seemed to whine in response, but at this moment Ember didn’t care.

Her older sister was dead. All the happy memories she had with her flooded back to her, making her whimper softly, tears pricking her eyes. Her strong, brave and confident older sister, who Ember always loved spending time with, and she was always there for her, no matter what. She was so kind to everyone, she didn’t deserve this…

Ember sobbed quietly as she buried her face into the nest, too consumed by grief to do anything.

Even six years later she didn’t know why she felt like this. Every now and then she still got consumed by grief. Sometimes she’d just prefer to sit all alone, while her friends went out and played.

Raids also became more frequent and more violent in the six years that passed. Ember didn’t know whether it was because of Reaper’s anger or something else, but they became more common and more brutal. And Ember was sometimes too grief stricken to do anything about it.

People expressed their sympathy for her, which she just replied with the same thing. “It’s fine. Things like this just happen sometimes.” But deep inside it still hurt. Everything felt unnatural and grey without Sophie around. Every night was a painful reminder that Sophie was dead, and that she felt responsible for it.

Every day felt long and painful. Nothing seemed fun anymore. Without Sophie everything suddenly felt boring. And Ember felt hopeless every day.

One night, Ember lay awake in her nest. Her mother sleeping beside her, she turned to look at her. She couldn't handle the heartache anymore. If she stayed she'd get more and more depressed. Everything was getting stressful. The constant fighting that had seemed to past its limits ever since Sophie died. The constant agony that she had to live in. And worse of all, the constant pain that she was responsible for her own sister's death.

“That’s it. I have to escape.”

Slowly standing up, she approached the door and opened it as carefully as she could. She flinched, briefly hearing her mother, and turned back to look at her one last time. "Thank you for raising me." She muttered, before exiting the door and closing it. She then made a break out of it, opening the entrance door and closing that.

The village was peaceful in the night. No one was around, and the only thing she could hear was the occasional cry of a Pokemon or the rustling of the grass. A cool breeze hit her back, but she ignored it and made a break for it.

She ran, not daring to look back, not daring to let the painful memories fly through her head. She had to escape. Even if it meant escaping the region, that's fine. She couldn't live with the heartache for much longer.

She hadn't realized how far she had come before she realized she was on top of the hill that overlooked the village. Taking a brief moment to catch her breath, she turned back and stared down at her village, the place where was born, the place where she grew up, and the place where she would suffer unless she escaped.

Tears welling up once again, she took a brief moment to look down. The moonlight shone, bathing it in a soft silver glow. It was all very beautiful, but Ember knew it was time to go. It was time for her to leave and fulfill her own dreams. It was time for her to escape the stress and start a new life.

Memories of Sophie's death flashed in her head again. The screams tore through her body, and she felt her blood go cold. The shuddering right before she died, and her half open, lifeless eyes that conformed the terrible truth. She closed her eyes, the painful memories running through her head, before she opened them again.

Determination flew through her gaze. Determination to escape and start life anew. "Thank you, everyone...thank you for raising me and making me the Pokemon I am today. Thank you for helping me learn what to do in life. And thank you...thank you, my dear sister, for being there by my side for everything. Thank you all..."

A mix of emotions rushed through her. She felt happy, sadness, fear, comfort, and a million other emotions all at the same time. A teary smile flashed on her face, as the tears fell down and stained the grass below. And suddenly, she felt a flaring feeling inside her.

If someone had looked on that hill at that moment, they would've seen a bright blue flash from the hill. After a few moments, the light died down.

She briefly took a moment to admire her new form, before gazing out into the distance one last time. "Goodbye..." She whispered.

And then, the Raboot turned tail and ran.


	5. Runaway

She was running. She wasn’t sure how long she was running for, but she could see the faint dawn sun flicker through the horizon. She had ran for most of the night and was heavily exhausted, but she forced herself to keep moving.

She felt stronger now that she had evolved. Could she have run that far before she evolved? She shook her thoughts away and continued to run, desperate to get as far away from the heartache as possible. She didn’t even know where she was, but she definitely wasn’t in the forest where she had grown up near.

Ember had ran past forests, fields, mountains and towns just to get to where she was. She had ran the whole night and was terribly worn out, but the flaming determination that was inside her forced her to keep going. So she continued to run, and could’ve sworn she saw a small town start to appear in front of her.

Speaking of towns, what would her village even do when they realize she’s gone? Go out to look for her? A burning feeling of guilt suddenly arose within her as she realized that it was around this time that the Pokemon of the village started to wake up. It was only a matter of time before they realized that she’s gone missing without a trace.

How would everyone react? Her parents already lost Sophie, what would they do when they realize that she’s gone as well? She realized it was a mistake to think about her older sister, who had died six years prior, because tears began to sting at her eyes upon remembering her. Even now the guilt hadn’t really left her, and every now and then she still thought about her.

Stopping for a brief moment to catch her breath, she breathed unevenly, trying to shake off the tears that were already pricking at her eyes. Her eyes wide with sorrow, she gazed at the scene around her. It seemed to be some type of prairie near a port. The ocean was just a while ahead of her, did she really run that far? Many ships were on the vast sea, and multiple Pokemon seemed to be boarding a quite impressive cruise ship.

She walked a bit closer to the town, seeing the cruise ship in all its glory. Cruise ship or luxury liner, she didn’t know, but it was quite an impressive ship. All lit up fancily and all that...and many Pokemon were entering the ship, creating quite a massive queue. Multiple Pokemon were already arguing at each other for delaying their walk toward the ship.

Ember knew it was wrong to sneak on board a ship without a ticket, but at this point she couldn't care less. She had to escape. She didn’t know where she wanted to escape to, but maybe this cruise ship was her only hope of getting a good chance. Surely they’d assume she had a ticket as well?

She saw the Pokemon who checked for tickets, but surely if she just blended in with the crowd they wouldn’t see her. What if the crowd realized she didn’t have a ticket? In the end, Ember figured it was worth a shot. Taking a deep breath in, she flung herself into the crowd of Pokemon that were queueing. Some of the Pokemon let out gasps of surprise, but in the end they didn’t seem that bothered.

It was working! Heart pounding with anticipation, Ember felt herself occasionally get shoved by the Pokemon who were behind her. She always apologized, but the Pokemon quickly seemed to forget about her. Did they really assume she had a ticket? Did they even see her plunge into the queue? Ember figured it was best not to worry about it, she was almost there to freedom!

The queue took longer than she thought, but eventually, Ember found herself inside the ship. And how grand it looked! A brightly lit room, with multiple areas leading to the other places of the ship. So much stuff was crammed into one cruise ship, and Ember felt her eyes widening with wonder as she stared around, unsure what to do first.

“Surely there must be a room where I can stay…” She muttered to herself, gazing around at all the bright lights.

“And indeed there is!” Hearing the new voice, Ember spun her head around. Two Pokemon stood there, a Mr. Mime and a Mr. Rime, staring right at Ember. They seemed formal, and Ember couldn’t help but to blink.

“I’m Jonathan!” The Mr. Mime spoke.

“And I’m Charle!” The Mr. Rime piped up.

“And we’re your friendly tour guides!” The duo harmonized.

“Friendly...tour guides?” Ember replied, confused.

“Yes!” The two Pokemon went up to Ember, eyes glowing with jubilation. “We welcome you to this ship full of fun and fantasy!”

“Fun and fantasy…?”

“Yes! Want us to guide you around the ship when she starts to sail?”

“Uh…” Ember hesitated a bit. Was this a good idea? But they did claim to be tour guides, maybe they guided other guests around the ship? They seemed friendly enough…

“I...I mean I guess? I don’t know, I just always thought I’d be exploring this ship on my own…” Uncomfort suddenly swelled inside her. What if they found out she didn’t have a ticket while they were guiding her?

“And you don’t have to be alone!” Jonathan took one of Ember’s paws. “We’ll guide you across the ship, you need it! You don’t want to be exploring this big ship on your own.”

Even though she tried to deny it they were accepting her offer anyway. “We’ll do our best to make you feel as welcome as you can possibly be!” Charle smiled.

Ember wasn’t sure how to reply. “Uh...thanks, I guess?” She smiled awkwardly at the two, but they didn’t seem to take notice to her awkwardness.

“No, thank you for offering to be our guest!” The duo said together, and Ember felt embarrassment creep up on her. She was on this ship without a ticket and these two wacky tour guides who had offered to show her around the ship despite her trying to politely deny the offer.

“What have I gotten myself into…”

A couple of minutes later, it was time for the ship to set sail. Thousands of Pokemon had gathered by the port to wish everyone off, and Ember was on the top of the ship, holding onto the rails as the sea breeze blew through her fur.

She shivered as she heard the engines start to activate. This was it. If she felt regret for running away without a word now, it was too late to go back. It was time to start a new life. Surely she was old enough to look after herself? How would her parents and everyone in her village feel when they realized she was gone?

Heartache burned inside her when she thought about their reactions, but it was too late to do anything. Sophie was dead, and for the past six years she had been in a spiral of guilt. What if she needed this? What if this was the one thing that would make her feel better?

She felt the ship start to move below her, and she closed her eyes, knowing there was nothing that could be done anymore. “Goodbye…” She whispered quietly, deafened by the cheers of the Pokemon and the ship starting to move across the ocean.

She opened her eyes to see the crowd of Pokemon on the port, cheering and waving. Some Pokemon who were also on the top of the boat waved back, and Ember just smiled and waved awkwardly. She watched the land where her village lived in get smaller and smaller in the distance, and she felt a sadness suddenly wash over her. Who knows if she’d ever see her parents and friends again.

“And, look at what we have here!” Two voices suddenly perked up, snapping Ember out of her thoughts.

‘Oh no.’

Turning around, Ember felt herself groan seeing Jonathan and Charle stride up to her. “Well, well, well! Which part of the ship do you want to explore first?” Jonathan shoved a map at Ember, who reluctantly grabbed it and read it over.

So many areas to explore...surely she couldn’t possibly explore everything in one day? Then again, it was quite early in the morning...maybe she’d have enough time to see everything. ‘No, Ember, just explore everything at your own pace…’

“Well?” The duo looked at Ember expectantly, and Ember looked up at them, eyes flowing with reluctance.

“Uh...I...this is nice, yes, but I...I prefer to explore on my own.”

“Why explore the ship on your own when you can be accompanied by your favorite travel buddies?” Charle asked, and Ember could tell neither he nor Jonathan were easily convinced.

“Yes! Exploring the ship on your own is boring. You need pals to make this experience fun! Who knows if you’ll ever go on a ship again?” Jonathan asked.

“Look, I can explore the ship just fine on my own! I don’t need you two!” Ember walked off, visibly irritated. Surely that’d get them to leave her alone? And all at once she wished she never thought that.

“Come on, young one! We’ve never had someone reject us!” Jonathan grinned.

“You’ll love it once you accept us!” Charle agreed.

“And we’ll make the best experience you can have!” Jonathan chimed.

And it was getting so irritating to Ember, so frustrating that no matter how clear she made it to them that she didn’t want them anywhere near her, they still kept following her. Their talking was growing more and more annoying and she was getting more stressed than ever, until after what seemed like ages of her debating whether snapping on a crowded ship was a good idea or not, she broke.

“Listen!” She snapped, turning to glare right at the two Pokemon. “I don’t need you two! I can manage just fine on my own! Even after I made it clear to you two over and over again that I didn’t need to be accompanied, you still followed me around, hoping that I’d somehow accept your offer!”

The duo blinked, before turning to each other. Charle opened his mouth to speak, but Ember spoke first. “Do you really think that after following me constantly, knowing that I didn’t want to be with you, you still think I’d somehow accept your offer?! Ever since I came on this ship I’ve been stressed by you two, I came on this ship for a break from my life! I don’t need more stress, and I don’t want more stress!”

“Miss, I--” Jonathan started.

“Don’t try and speak! I’ve made it clear that I don’t need you! I don’t want you two! I just want to be free from this heartache I’ve had to endure over the last six years, and I figured maybe going away from my home was the right option! I just want to have a new life! And I don’t want any stress in it!” Tears of anger ran down her face as she spoke, and she could’ve sworn she saw guilt flash in Jonathan and Charle’s eyes.

“Just…leave me alone!” And with that, Ember turned and ran, not stopping until she burst into an empty hotel room in the ship. She threw herself on the bed, filled with anger, stress and sadness. The tears still ran down her face as she cried into the bed, wondering just how life would’ve been if she hadn’t ran away. Was it a good idea to run away? Whatever the answer was, it was too late to find it. She had made her choice, and she had to live with it.

She didn’t know how long had passed, but she must not have realized how tired she was, because eventually, she was sick of crying, and a dizzying wave of sleep began to wash over her. She had run the whole night...maybe she needed this.

She sobbed once more; a tired, stressed sob, before closing her eyes and allowing the wave of sleep to consume her.

Ember wasn’t sure how long she had slept for, but she was certain she had slept for a long time. When she woke up the whole sky was darkened. Did she really sleep until the night? Groaning as she got up, she sat on the bed for a bit, trying to remember what had happened, why she was on a cruise ship to begin with.

And when everything from yesterday hit her she felt more lonesome than ever. Sighing in defeat, she turned and opened the door that led to outside, and when she stepped outside, a cool midnight breeze wafted through the air. She could see faint traces of dawn in the sky, did she seriously sleep almost a full day? She must’ve been tired…

She walked toward the top of the ship, standing on the rails that protected Pokemon from accidentally falling in the ocean. She shivered upon seeing it, a seemingly endless surge of blue that almost looked like the sky, but darker. And as she looked into the ocean, she began to wonder. She began to wonder what would’ve happened had she not ran away.

She would still be with her parents in the village, still trying to enjoy life despite Sophie’s death. Somehow, thinking about her deceased older sister made her feel worse about everything. Memories of her death flooded back, and even if it was six years ago, it still stung seeing her writhe on the ground, crying out in agony as the venom slowly consumed her life.

And the last thing she saw was Ember. She had smiled for the last time in front of Ember, and she remembered her paw feeling her face for the last time, almost as if she was trying to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. But how would everything be alright, especially when she felt responsible for her own death?

...it was a mistake to think that. She felt responsible for her older sister’s death. Even after all those years she still blamed herself. If she hadn’t left the village to see the raid Sophie would’ve never come looking for her, and she would’ve never been struck by that Arbok’s deadly bite. It was all her fault that Sophie died, and somehow that made her feel worse. Tears fell down her eyes, hitting the ocean below.

She gazed into the ocean, her amber eyes dull and saddened. What if something happened that would make her join Sophie, wherever she was?...no! She couldn’t think like that, she still had a life to live! It wasn’t her time to die, and she’d make sure of that. How long was she even standing on those rails, anyway? It was probably time to head back to the room…

And then suddenly the cruise ship rocked. Whether a wave hit it or some stray attack, Ember didn’t know. But it was enough to make the boat rock to one side. Ember let out a yell of surprise as she felt herself lost her balance on the rails as the boat rocked. And before she knew it, she was falling. The rails where she was standing mere seconds ago got smaller and smaller.

Before she knew it cold water suddenly enveloped her body, a sharp gasp escaping her. She could feel the water enter her body, and she suddenly felt herself go weak. Fire Type’s were heavily weakened by water to begin with, and falling from that height plus the sudden impact of the freezing water made the effect it had on her body almost instant.

She was sinking. The light from above got further and further away as her whole body got full of water. She felt numbness take over her body, herself struggling to breathe, a battle that she knew she had lost. Was the only thing she could do accept her fate? At least she could be with Sophie again…

Ember could feel her eyes begin to close as the murky darkness of water began to swallow her. But through the blurriness of her eyes, she could see the water from above suddenly shift and begin to move. And then...there was a figure. It was too blurred to make out what it was, but something was approaching her. She couldn’t make out what it was, her mind was numb and her vision was fading. Was it coming to save her?

Ember never got to find out, as before she knew it, the darkness had completely consumed her.


	6. Savior

...where was she? Her eyes slowly opened a crack, her body heavy and fur drenched with water. There was blue...was it from the ocean? No...it wasn’t the same shade of blue as the ocean. Her eyes blinked slowly as she struggled to remember what had happened. The last thing she could remember was darkness, and then…

And then all of a sudden she had coughed up water. A gasp of surprise escaped...someone. “Oh my goodness! You’re alive!” Struggling to breathe for a few seconds, Ember slowly turned to see the source of the voice.

It was a Dragonair. A sleek, pretty Dragonair. But...it wasn’t like any Dragonair she had been told of. This one had light blue stripes on her body that seemingly glowed. A grey crown was on her head, which had the same light blue stripes and three dark blue orbs. Ember breathed heavily for a few moments, gazing into the Dragonair’s black and pink eyes.

“Are you alright?” The Dragonair asked politely.

“I...I think…” Ember quickly realized speaking was a mistake with her body still full of water which she had breathed in while she was drowning. She coughed a bit, turning to look at the Dragonair once again.

“Save your strength! Don’t try and talk!” The Dragonair gasped, seeing the state Ember was in. “Just...lie down, alright? You look like you swallowed a lot of water while you were drowning, try and get rid of it, alright?”

“You...you saved me…?” Ember’s voice was quiet and weak with the fear that she could suddenly cough up water unexpectedly again. She lay there, her body shivering and soaked.

“Of course! I saw you fall off the ship, I knew I couldn’t just leave you out there!” The Dragonair replied.

It was only then that Ember realized she was still in the middle of the ocean. The sky was brighter now, the morning sun rising in the sky. She was on the back of the Dragonair, swimming across the ocean as the sun shone down on the two of them. Ember tried to speak again, but stopped, a low groan escaping her as she felt the water that was inside her body suddenly weigh her down.

“You alright?” The Dragonair whispered.

“I…” Ember shuddered for a brief moment, logged by the cold water. “I’m fine.”

“Good...I’ll take you to the island where I live, alright? Just...lie down. Don’t move a lot. And if you need to cough up water that’s fine. Try and save your strength, alright?”

“Alright…” An island? There was an island near? Hope dwelled inside Ember for a brief moment, but her fur felt weighed down due to the water that had soaked it. She lay on the Dragonair’s back, curled up and shivering.

The journey to the island the Dragonair mentioned seemed to take ages, and that wasn’t even counting the times where the Dragonair turned her head to check on her whenever she suddenly began coughing again. And by the time dry land was seen, Ember felt weakened. Most of the water that she had swallowed was gone, but her fur was still soaked.

Ember weakly lifted her head, and in the distance, she saw land. Was there a beach up ahead? Ember blinked, straining to see what was ahead, before realizing it was a beach. Large rocks adorned the beach, some such rocks forming a type of arch.

Eventually, the Dragonair slided onto the beach, lowering her head and turning to Ember expectantly. “Here. There’s a gap in these rocks that are just big enough for you to go through.” She spoke. Ember turned to where the Dragonair was looking, and saw one of the rocks had some kind of hole inside, presumably where small Pokemon lived. But by the looks of it it seemed mostly abandoned.

“Is...is it safe?” She whispered, tired from everything that had happened to her.

“Of course it’s safe! You can rest and recover here if you want.” The Dragonair smiled at her, her crown shining in the sun. Ember looked nervous, and she must’ve taken notice at that. “I’ll find you food, don’t worry. You best focus on recovering.”

Hearing that, Ember summoned what little strength she had left to hop off the Dragonair and enter through the gap. She lay down on the stone floor, and was surprised by how warm it was. She curled up, as if she was trying to keep the little warmth she had left in her fur safe within her.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so rude, I forgot to introduce myself…” The Dragonair suddenly gasped.

“H...hey! It’s fine.” Ember lifted her head to meet the Dragonair’s eyes.

“I’m so sorry...anyway, I’m Noodle.” The Dragonair bowed her head.

“Ember.”

“Nice name…” Noodle slithered up to the gap and lowered her head so she was meeting Ember’s eyes. “So what were you doing that made you fall off a cruise ship?”

Hearing that question, Ember froze. How was she to explain to her what had happened that lead her to falling? “I...I was taking in the sights and all of a sudden…” Her head suddenly going numb, she whimpered softly as she lowered it, still affected by almost drowning.

Noodle seemed to understand. “You need to recover, alright? Try and lie down for a while. Don’t move too much. Maybe try and fall asleep? Sleeping could help.”

Ember’s amber eyes opened weakly to see Noodle. She hadn’t seen a Dragonair like her before...not one with glowing stripes, anyway. “Hey...I’m sorry if this is off topic but...why do you...why do you look like that?”

Noodle’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh! That’s...that’s a common question for me.”

“Is it offensive? If it isn't, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know…”

“No, no! It’s fine! Really! It’s just common for people to ask me that when they meet me for the first time.” She met Ember’s eyes, and smiled warmly.

“So...how do you look like that?”

Noodle’s eyes seemed to falter for a moment, and her head lowered. “Honestly... I never really asked to look like this. But I couldn’t refuse. If I refused I would’ve made them all unhappy.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ember, I know we only just met but…” Her voice shook for a brief moment. “Where I live, I’m a goddess.”

“What--” Ember shouted, only to suddenly break out into a series of coughs. She was sure all the water she had swallowed was gone, was there still some more inside?!

“Oh my goodness!” Noodle gasped, turning to throw her tail through the entrance and gently put it on Ember, almost as if it was to try and soothe her. “Just stay calm, this should be the last of it…”

Ember hardly heard, her mind suddenly spinning with thoughts. How much water had she actually swallowed? How long would it take to remove it all? Eventually the coughs died down and Ember was left lying on the floor, shivering and whimpering. Noodle seemed to take pity on her almost instantly, as she grabbed her with her tail and pulled her into her embrace, hugging her to try and comfort her.

And it seemed to work almost instantly. Ember held onto Noodle, a soft whimper escaping her as she accepted the comfort embrace. “You’ll be fine.” Noodle whispered, and Ember turned to look at her weakly.

“I...I’m sorry for what just happened.” Ember muttered.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I didn’t see that coming either.” Noodle replied.

The two stared at each other in silence for a few moments, before Ember broke it. “So...you’re really a goddess?”

“Yes. It’s why I have this crown and those glowing stripes. They’re a symbol of my power.” Noodle replied.

“What power do you have if you are a goddess?” Ember asked.

“Well...I do have the power to control water willingly.” She turned to the ocean and nodded. A small spurt of water rose up from the ocean, rising up before falling back and forming into the ocean.

“Woah…” Ember’s eyes widened in awe. She hadn’t seen anything like that! She had ran away from home and the first thing she saw was a water bending goddess Dragonair. Had she stayed she wouldn’t have seen anything like that… “It must be nice to have a power like that.”

“Yes, nice…” Noodle turned away, her voice suddenly turning weary. Noticing the sudden change in tone, Ember looked at Noodle in worry. “I didn’t want this.”

“Huh…?” Ember’s eyes were now filled with shock. “Didn’t want this?” Noodle nodded in reply. “But why? You have a cool power, why don’t you want it?”

Noodle sighed in defeat and stared out into the ocean. “All I wanted was to live a normal life with my friends and family in my home. I just wanted to be happy without having any real responsibility. But then the goddess who ruled over my home died, and everyone suddenly voted for me to take up her role. So I had the coronation, got my crown which is why I have these powers, and now I’m like this.” Noodle looked down in sorrow. “And I didn’t want it.”

“Why didn’t you tell everyone you didn’t want to be the next goddess?” Ember wondered.

“I couldn’t. I couldn’t tell everyone so I wouldn’t make them disappointed. And if I rejected their offer…” Noodle paused for a few moments. “I don’t want to think about what could’ve happened.”

The only sound Ember could hear for a few seconds was the waves crashing onto the beach. “I...I’m so sorry…”

“It’s fine...I’ve gotten used to this by now. But all of a sudden so much responsibility is on my shoulders. I have to keep everything in check, I suddenly have way too many jobs to do... and I hate it. I just want to live a normal life without these sudden responsibilities. I was swimming on my own, taking a break from all the stress...and then I found you.” She turned to Ember upon finishing her sentence.

“So...what are you going to do now?”

“I have to go home. What else can I do? They’ll worry about me. But I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to have to return home just to do jobs. I want to live my own life.”

“Why don’t you run away?”

“I can’t. I absolutely can’t.”

“If you really wanted to, you could.” And at that moment, Ember suddenly felt a sharp wave of guilt wash over her, thinking about herself running away from home. Surely her village would be worrying about her by now?

“You wouldn’t understand, Ember. You wouldn’t understand the stress one has to endure that could make them snap and all of a sudden break down into tears and that’d be the driving force for you to do something about it--”

“I do.”

Noodle turned to Ember, a look of shock on her face. “You...you understand?!” Ember nodded meekly in reply. “How?!”

“I...I don’t know.” Ember knew she was lying. But how could she tell her new friend that she had run away from home because of her living in grief for six years because of her sister’s death? “But I somehow understand. I don’t know how, but I do.”

Noodle’s eyes softened. “I’m surprised you do understand…” Ember put a comforting paw on her body, and turned to look at her.

“It’s fine, Noodle. I’ll...I’ll get over it.” She shivered a bit, and it was then that she remembered how soaked she was. “I’m drenched…”

“Yes...I feel like you should go back into the rock and get some rest. It’s been a long day for you.”

“Yeah…” Ember walked back to the rock, entering through the gap and curling up on the stone floor. Her eyes were half open and worn out, exhausted by everything that’s happened today.

“Just relax, Ember. You’ll feel better in no time.” Noodle smiled warmly at Ember, and it was her warm smile that seemed to be the starting point for a sudden wave of sleep to consume her.

Closing her eyes, the last thing she saw was Noodle’s reassuring face beam down at her as black obscured her vision.

When Ember awoke a few hours later, the first thing she saw was a bunch of berries beside her. “Huh...?” She lifted her head to see Noodle stand above her, smiling at her.

“I saw you asleep and I figured you’d be hungry when you woke up. Who knows how long it has been since you last ate?” Noodle explained.

Touched, Ember grabbed a berry and ate it. She had only known Noodle for a few hours, but she was such a kind Pokemon. She and her were barely strangers when she saved her life, and now she was doing this just because she cared about her. “Thank you!” She chirped.

“It’s not a problem.” Noodle smiled warmly again.

Ember then realized how dry her fur was since she had fallen asleep. It was still a bit soaked, but it was definitely drier now than it was back then. She stepped out of the gap, the sun hitting her almost instantly.

“So...where am I?” She asked Noodle.

“The island?” Noodle asked. “Well...this is an island where people and Pokemon can live in harmony together. This is the rocky beach. And if you look behind you, there’s a city!” Ember turned around, and gasped, seeing a quaint seaside city a few meters away from where she was. “Seashire City. Just cross the bridge and you’ll get there!”

“Woah…” Ember breathed. “This place is beautiful!”

“It sure is!” Noodle agreed. “There’s quite a few places around this island to explore.”

“I mean...back where I used to live I only knew my village, the meadow around it and the forest where I was forbidden to enter.” Ember sighed, remembering her old home.

“Huh?” Noodle turned to Ember, and it was then, only then, did Ember realize what she had said. She turned to look at Noodle, shock on her face.

“I...I mean…” She then turned away, knowing nothing could be done and that she had to tell the truth to her.

“I...I’m not offended! I’m just surprised. Surprised you came from another village! Why did you come here then?” Noodle asked.

Panic suddenly began to take over Ember, once again remembering the events that made her run away and arrive here. “I...I needed a break.”

“Oh…” Noodle turned away from Ember for a few moments, before turning back to look at her. “Why don’t we explore the island together? Help take your mind off things.”

“But I thought you needed to go home.” Ember replied.

“I don’t want to go home. I don’t like having responsibilities all the time. I want to make my own choices, how can I do that when I have constant jobs on me?”

Silence fell over the two Pokemon for a few moments. Then, Ember spoke up. “I mean...exploring the island does sound like fun…”

“It is! You’re new here, why don’t I show you around? You need to know the basics of this island if you really want to stay here.”

“I mean...I do have nowhere to go. I guess I could see the sights in here.”

“Excellent! Now, come on, Ember!” Noodle slithered forward, and Ember found herself walking after Noodle. She once again thought about everything that had happened to her, and now it seemed like she was going to start a new life in a new setting with new friends.

Maybe living here wouldn’t be as bad as she imagined it to be...


	7. A New Life

Ember’s eyes slowly widened, seeing the sights of the forest around her. Noodle was beside her, her eyes glowing as well. “Isn’t this island wonderful?”

“Yeah...it is.” Ember replied, taking in the sights of the forest around her. It was unlike the forest where she used to live, whereas the trees in the forest she used to live were close together and dense, the trees here didn’t seem as dense as back there.

The forest they were in seemed quiet and dark at this time of day, the only sound being the occasional cry of a nearby Pokemon. Ember shivered, a cold breeze ruffling her fur as nearby footsteps made her ears prick up. Who was out there? Maybe it was something hunting to feed themselves or their family.

Ember’s eyes drooped, suddenly remembering her mother all alone in her old home. How even was she right now? Was she worried sick, believing her only remaining daughter had somehow died? She didn’t want her mother to worry, but at the same time she didn’t want herself to constantly worry about the state she was in ever since she lost her sister…

And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something blue. A blue flicker in the distance, which seemingly disappeared in a heartbeat. Now Ember was staring into darkness, two dark blue orbs staring back at her. Ember suddenly felt herself freeze with fear, the scream that she wanted to scream vanishing inside her body. Someone was there. Someone was watching her every movement. Had that someone been following her the entire time?!

She blinked, and the dark blue orbs were gone. As if she wasn’t terrified enough, now those creepily staring orbs were nowhere to be found. Ember suddenly felt unease creep up her fur, as she stepped back a bit in fear.

“Ember?” She heard Noodle from up ahead. “Are you coming?”

“Y...yes! Yes, I’m coming. I just need to--” Ember started, but she never had time to finish. For suddenly she felt hard claws slam down onto her back, and all of a sudden she wasn’t even touching the ground. She heard a scream of shock erupt from Noodle as all of a sudden she saw the trees from the forest get further and further away, the sunlight almost blinding her.

The fear that had crept up on her suddenly seemed to take over her body. Suddenly getting memories of when that Skarmory had picked her up back when she was still in her old village, she opened her eyes, seeing wind rustling through metallic wings. But unlike the Skarmory, these wings were a dull greyish blue.

Upon recognizing what Pokemon had picked her up, Ember felt herself go cold. She hadn’t seen many Corviknight where she lived, but she heard enough about them to learn that they didn’t mean good. Many years before she was born someone from her village got snatched up by a Corviknight and was never seen again.

Shaking, Ember turned back to the ground, and she felt the overwhelming fear take over herself as she saw the ground get further and further. Where was she being taken to? The talons digging into her back, Ember flinched, feeling the pain and blood run down her. The dizzying height she was being carried at seemed to make her feel more and more paranoid about everything that was happening…

And then suddenly the Corviknight let out a shriek. A pressured blast of water suddenly slammed directly into them, Ember flinching by the sudden burst. Opening her eyes, Ember saw Noodle, wings outstretched and a determined glint in them. The Dragonair fired off a second Hydro Pump, but the Corviknight dodged, glaring back at Noodle.

“Let her go!” Noodle roared, but the Corviknight flew on. Noodle caught up at quite an impressive speed, before smashing an Aqua Tail right in the Corviknight’s face. Shrieking, the Corviknight smashed into Noodle with a Steel Wing, but Noodle quickly recovered and flew back to where the Corviknight was flying.

“Noodle, try and be careful--” Ember started, but the gleam in Noodle’s eyes let Ember knew that her friend knew what she was doing. Noodle flew up in the sky, before flying back down at high speed, charging up an Aqua Tail. Looking up and taking notice of this, the Corviknight flew directly into the path of the Aqua Tail, cloaked in blue flames.

The Aqua Tail and Brave Bird collided, and then there was a massive explosion. Ember screamed, feeling the talons unsheath from her body, and suddenly she had descended into freefall. She broke out of the explosion, the ground suddenly zooming closer and closer to her.

She braced herself for whenever she’d hit the floor, but that moment never came. For suddenly a blue blur flew past Ember, and she hit warm scales. Noodle turned back to Ember, giving her a reassuring nod. The Corviknight, however, just managed to get herself stable and land on the ground, looking quite frazzled.

“Thanks.” Ember whispered to Noodle as Noodle flew down to the ground, the Corviknight glaring at the two of them.

“You!” She squawked. “How dare you steal my kill?!”

“Hey! She didn’t ask to be picked up like that!” Noodle shot back.

“She’s prey! The only purpose of prey is to be eaten!” The Corviknight snapped.

“But I don’t want to die yet!” Ember retorted.

“Can’t you just hunt some Rattata? Or at least ask someone before you strike?” Noodle asked.

“No.” The Corviknight turned to look into the distance. “Prey exists only to be eaten. We give thanks for their life and the memories they had to endure before we eat them. That’s what I’ve always followed where I live.”

Ember looked at the Corviknight as she spoke. “Everything exists for a reason, you know? Everyone has their own hopes and dreams, and it’s up to them to follow them. They get to choose the path they want to live, and we have to respect that. If they want to do good for the world, so be it. If they want to do bad…” Her voice trailed off, as she looked down, her eyes closing.

“So you just let them be bad?” Ember asked.

“If they want to go down a life of corruption, so be it. This island isn’t full of sunshine and rainbows. There’s dark paths in this world. Those corrupted by malice, those who just want to see others suffer, those who endure so much and end up taking their regret out on others...this island isn’t a pretty place as it’s made out to be.”

Ember blinked, never thinking about it in that way. “But...surely there’s good in this world?”

“Yes, yes there is. Not everything here is bad. I’ve just had to see so many of my friends go through hard times in the last few months. It sickens me how I can’t do anything about it…”

“Surely you can?”

“It’s not that easy. My friends have gone through more than you can ever imagine, young one. But somehow, they still push onward. They still try to live their life the best they can. My friends are some of the strongest Pokemon I know, and I’m forever grateful for them.”

Ember’s amber eyes glistened as she listened to the Corviknight talk. Live the life the best they can despite everything they’ve been through...Ember looked down, trying to imagine herself living a happy life without Sophie by her side. It stung, but did she have to live through this grief and continue living happily?

“Have I been talking too much?” The Corviknight seemed to notice Ember’s sudden downed look, and she raised her head to look at her.

“N...no! Not at all. I was just thinking about my past…”

“Even if your past may be full of shadows, you still have a life to live. Make the most of it, alright?”

This Corviknight had tried to kill her moments before and now she was consoling her. Ember didn’t really know how to feel about that, but she smiled softly anyway. “I...I’ll try.”

The Corviknight smiled. “If you ever need me, I’ll be around Mt. Reversal.”

“Thanks…” Noodle started, but she paused. “I...I never got your name.”

“Hikari. My name is Hikari.”

“Hikari! Right. I’m Noodle. This is--”

“Ember!” Ember perked up. Hikari smiled warmly at her, and Ember suddenly felt any malice that she had emitted before withering away.

“Take care of yourself, Ember. You too, Noodle.” And with that, Hikari’s strong wings flapped as she took to the skies, vanishing beneath the clouds. Ember watched the sky for a few moments, the clouds rolling by as the sun shone brightly. She wasn’t in the dark forest anymore, but rather a nice little field. A towering, grey mountain stood behind, looming over the duo.

Gazing up at the mountain, Ember’s eyes went wide. “Is this Mt. Reversal?”

“Yes.” Noodle replied. “It’s...where seemingly most of the conflict happens here.”

“What do you mean?” Ember turned to Noodle, her eyes bright and curious.

“It’s...really hard to explain. I don’t know much about these events, given how I mostly live underwater...some wooden Zygarde, I heard once. And there seemed to be something relating to the void as well, some death angel or something like that? I don’t know, I wasn’t there, I don’t know much about it.”

Ember blinked, fascinated. “But it’s seriously amazing how quickly gossip spreads around this island! When something happens it normally takes days for the gossip to settle! No wonder how I heard about those events, gossip can even spread under the ocean!” Noodle’s eyes went starry as she rambled.

“Are you just going to tell me about every little thing that happened on this island…” Ember muttered, but it was still loud enough for Noodle to hear.

“Nope. This island is years older than I am. I bet there’s a million other things I’ve never heard of. And even then, I don’t know a lot about the things that happened while I was alive.”

“Oh…” Ember stepped back a bit, before gazing into the sky once more. “When do you think we should head back?”

“Whenever you want to!” Noodle smiled. “I say there’s still a lot about this island we’ve yet to discuss. What do you want to discuss about?” Noodle’s eyes shone expectantly.

“Uh…I don’t really know. I only came onto this island yesterday!”

“Take your time then! I’m not complaining!” Noodle smiled warmly, and Ember couldn’t help but to smile back. Maybe she could get used to living like this. Just her and Noodle, living together in the rocky beach, just sharing stories and laughing at each other’s dumb jokes.

Maybe this life would be better than the old life she had.

As time went on, the sun began to set. Ember and Noodle returned back to the rocky beach, in the gap in the rocks where Ember slept. Entering the gap and lying down, Ember began to think about all the events that had transpired today. The meeting with Hikari, her and Noodle talking about what had happened on the island, the blue flame and the dark blue orbs…

...the blue flame and the dark blue orbs. All of a sudden a chill went up Ember, a chill that seemed to cool her entire body. She had completely forgotten about the flame and the orbs that she saw in the dark forest. What even were they? She turned to Noodle, who was looking down at her, eyes shining.

“Are you just going to leave me?” Ember whispered. “Are you just going to leave me all alone when I’m asleep, not returning until hours after I wake up?”

“What makes you think that?” Noodle lowered her head to meet Ember’s eyes.

“I...I don’t know. I just don’t want to be left all alone without knowing where you are. It...it scares me.” Ember’s voice went quiet as she spoke.

Turning away from Noodle, she half expected a response from the Dragonair. Another chill shook her when she realized Noodle hadn’t responded yet. And when she turned around, she froze in fear, seeing her gone. Where had she gone?! Had she really left her like she feared?! Panic took over her body for a few seconds before something dropped in front of her.

An orange scarf lay on the sand, the sunset making it seemingly sparkle. Reaching out, Ember took the scarf, and then a shadow loomed over her. Looking up, Ember saw Noodle stare down at her, eyes warm and kind.

“Think of it as a present to mark our friendship. I had put it on the rocks and went up to get it for you.” Noodle smiled.

“But...we haven’t known each other for a week.” Ember’s voice shook with emotion.

“Ember. I know we’ve not known each other for very long, but I care about you a lot. You’re like, the first real friend I’ve made since I became a goddess!” Noodle lowered her head once more. “And anyway, if it wasn’t for me you’d be dead.”

“Yeah…” Ember smiled a small smile, remembering when she fell off the ship and almost drowned. “I’ll be eternally grateful for it.”

“I’m already happy we met, Ember.”

“Me too.”

And as the sun set across the horizon, the duo spent the last moments of sunlight just talking, laughing, and overall having a good time. And by the time the moon rose, they had both fallen asleep, worn out from all the chatter they had done.

Ember smiled in her sleep. Maybe this was the life she was always meant to have. Just her and Noodle, with nothing interrupting them. But as she slept, she felt a dark feeling of unease creep up on her. A dark feeling that the suffering she had been through wasn’t going to end yet...


	8. Shattered Sparks

A couple of weeks passed since Ember met Noodle, and the two became firm friends ever since. Every day was the same, the two laughing, talking and overall having a good time together. It was the happiest Ember had felt since she had ran away, and the happiest she had felt for six years.

The loss of Sophie still stung, but she had to move on and live her life. Wasn’t that what Hikari said to her? She had to keep moving on, no matter what she had been through. Six years of pain and she finally felt like she had a chance to be happy again. And if it wasn’t for Noodle, who knows where she’d be. Maybe she would’ve drowned if it wasn’t for her saving her back then.

Every night she thought about how grateful she was to have her friend with her, and every night the two lay close to each other, drifting off into the darkness. It comforted Ember to have a close friend to sleep with, and it made sleeping just a little bit easier for her.

One night, Ember woke up to a midnight gust of wind ruffling her fur through the gap. Her head turned to the sky, amber eyes shining as bright as the stars above her. Walking out of the gap, being careful not to awaken Noodle, she sat down on the beach, the sound of waves crashing against the shore echoing throughout the area. Ember sighed, closing her eyes and taking the content and peace in.

...yet at the same time it hurt. Despite what Hikari said, despite how happy she was with Noodle, it wasn’t the same without Sophie. She still thought about her often, her bright smile, her quick thinking, her positive attitude and how much she was an inspiration to her. Memories of her death also flooded back alongside these happy memories, and every now and then, Ember was transported to the moment where she died, screaming in agony as the Arbok bite took her life.

It wasn’t fair that she had to die so young. But like Reaper said, she died to save Ember’s life. If she never interfered Ember would’ve been bitten and claimed by the venom. But it still hurt. Even if she died for a good cause it still hurt. If only there was a way to see her one more time...even if it was only temporary, surely there had to be a way?

Ember was snapped out of her thoughts by a faint rustling noise. Snapping her head around, she made out a brief blue blur quickly followed by a faint glow in the distance. Her eyes widened with curiosity as she stared at the glow that was just a few meters away from where she was.

She walked a few steps until she reached the glow, and then she stopped. A faint blue glow, shining in the darkness, almost looking like a footprint. Looking ahead, Ember saw multiple blue glows; were they really footprints? What kind of Pokemon could make tracks like that? Ember was just about to follow them when a sleepy voice from behind sounded.

“Ember…?” Turning around, Ember saw the figure of Noodle behind her. Did she hear her wander off when she had been awoken by the wind? “What are you doing?”

“I...I was sitting on the beach when I saw something and now there’s these glowing blue things!” Ember turned back to the blue glows, which seemed to forge a path into the forest. The wind blew behind her and in the direction of the blue glows, which suddenly seemed to flicker and burn, almost like fire.

“What…” Noodle blinked, gazing at the eerie blue flames that flickered into the forest. The wind suddenly seemed to draw from a howl to a whisper, whispering winds that breezed through Ember and making her shiver. It felt like the wind was talking to her, but it was in a language that she couldn’t understand at all.

“I...I think it wants us to follow.” Ember’s voice shook as she spoke.

“Follow? Follow where? Wait...how do you know?” Noodle asked.

“I just have this feeling that we need to follow the flames.” Ember locked eyes with Noodle as she spoke.

“But...isn’t this a bit sketchy? The flames go into the forest, who knows what we’ll find there!” Noodle replied.

Ember felt her expression falter as she gazed down onto the ground. Was this even a good idea? And as she thought that she could’ve sworn the wind suddenly grew colder, and the whispers seemed to get more desperate. Were they even whispers? Was she just imagining things? Did she just need more sleep?

But all the signs seemed to point that she needed to follow. The flames going into the forest, the whispering winds, the sudden chill when she thought about if this was a good idea...at the very least, if she could get this done, she and Noodle could go back to sleep. “I think we should follow.” She declared.

“But Ember! We don’t know if--”

“It’s alright, Noodle. I promise.” Ember put a paw on Noodle, who sighed with seemingly reluctance. She then nodded at Ember, and gazed into the distance.

The faint dawn sun rose across the horizon as Ember and Noodle began to walk, following the flames which were bright and blue even in the sunlight. Ember wasn’t sure how far they had traveled before eventually finding that the blue flames had vanished.

“What?! How have they--” Noodle shrieked in realization, before taking a look at her surroundings. “Where are we?!”

“I...I think the flames are gone because we’ve reached our destination.” Ember replied, gazing ahead at the massive, looming cave in front of her.

The cave was pretty big, with a dark entrance. A faint blue glow resonated from inside the cave, and Ember instantly knew that’s where they had to go. As she approached the cave, a faint feeling of unease crept up onto her. Was this a good idea? She hesitated, stepping back a bit, but the cold feeling wouldn’t go away.

Yet at the sametime, she felt something from inside the cave calling to her. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it felt so familiar. She was sure she could hear a familiar voice mingled in with the wind, but what was it? And before Ember knew it, she had walked into the darkness of the cave.

The only light source she could see was the eerie blue flames, as well as Noodle’s markings dimly lit up. She strained to see something aside from the flames that were lighting up the tunnel, and eventually, she saw something else. She had stepped into a big space with Noodle, the cold floor making Ember shiver a little. But someone was there. Someone was in the room, sitting and gazing into the distance.

A dark blue figure, it was a bit hard to make out what it was at first. But judging by the slender form and the nine large tails, Ember recognized it to be a Ninetales. A dark blue Ninetales? Was this a Shiny Ninetales? No, Shiny Ninetales were more of a silver color. And this couldn’t be an Alolan Ninetales because of the tail shape. This was a regular, dark blue Ninetales.

“Hello?” Ember whispered almost meekly. Upon hearing her voice, the Ninetales snapped his head around, and Ember almost flinched upon seeing his head for the first time. A large skull adorned his head, his dark blue eyes gazing right at her. She instantly recognized those eyes as the dark blue orbs she had seen a few weeks ago. So this was the source of the blue flames, as well as those eyes.

He smirked, taking a good look at Ember and Noodle before standing up. “Visitors.” He turned to face the duo, a glint in his eyes emitting an emotion that Ember had never seen before. “I knew it. The ghosts told me about you.”

“Ghosts?” Noodle’s voice was a quiet whisper.

“Yes. I’ve lived with ghosts my whole life.” He gazed directly at Ember as he spoke, and Ember felt the feeling of unease come back. “The ghosts have been watching you two. They have been watching everyone. They told me about you two.”

He then turned to look at Noodle, stepping toward her. “You. You were assigned to a destiny you never wanted. You live your life in misery, wishing you were never in the position you are in now. All you want is to be normal, and because of what happened, you never will be normal again.” Noodle’s eyes widened as the mysterious Ninetales spoke, and then she looked down, horror in her gaze.

“And you.” Before Ember knew it the Ninetales was speaking at her. “You live your life in misery as well. You’ve been haunted for years upon years because your sister gave her life to protect you. Wasn’t it your fault that she died? If you never went she wouldn’t have had to die.”

Upon hearing that Ember felt every part of her body drop. Suddenly she was once again transported to when Sophie died, blaming herself for her death. And to this day she still blamed herself. The feeling of guilt never went away. The horror she felt suddenly morphed into anger. “How do you know?!”

“Are you deaf?” The Ninetales sounded unamused. “The ghosts told me about you.”

“Ghosts...what ghosts?!” Noodle’s voice hardened.

“Do you even know what a ghost is?!” The Ninetales shot back. “Anyway...I brought you two here because...I sensed what you had both gone through.”

“What…” Ember muttered to herself. The Ninetales smiled as if he was insane, before he continued speaking.

“My name...my name is Cranium. I live in this cave...the cave of ghosts. The cave of ghosts who feel like my best friends.” He lowered his head to someone who Ember didn’t even see. Was that a ghost? “My best friends...I had other friends as well, can’t remember who they were. I don’t remember anything about them, these ghostly people and Pokemon are my only friends now.”

“What do you mean?” Noodle asked.

Cranium turned to Ember. “You wish to see the ghost of your sister, don’t you?”

At that question, Ember felt her blood turn into ice. She could see the ghost of her sister? She could see her sister one more time? Before even thinking about whether this was a good idea, Ember quickly replied. “Yes! Yes, I do! I miss her so much, I just want to see her again!”

“Very well.” Cranium stood up, striding toward the darkness, before turning around. “Come with me.” Upon hearing that, Ember wandered toward Cranium, who still stared behind him. “Dragonair, come as well.” Noodle’s eyes widened, but she slithered forward, and then the three vanished into the inky darkness.

There were no lights to illuminate the tunnel this time, just the three descending deeper and deeper into darkness. Ember felt herself shiver, the only source of light being the dim lights from Noodle’s markings. Maybe those markings worked better underwater than on the surface. Did she even know where they were going? She stuck close to Noodle, following Cranium into the darkness of the tunnels.

How much further did they have to go? The only sound to be heard was footsteps, the footsteps that echoed off the cave walls. Surely Cranium knew where they were going. If he didn’t they’d just be bumping into walls all the time…speaking of the walls, she saw blue crystals embedded into some of the walls, glowing faintly in the darkness. Several flames were inside some crystals, dancing inside and making the murky tunnels a bit happier than before.

And then before Ember knew it, she saw a faint blue light in the distance. Eventually, the light got brighter and brighter, until all of a sudden, the three Pokemon had stepped into a new room, fully illuminated by blue.

Ember’s eyes slowly widened upon stepping into the new room. Crystals of all different shades of blue hung around the room, some hanging down from the ceiling and some poking up from the walls and floor. Blue flames illuminated the room, making the light source in every direction. A crystal blue pool shone in the middle, it’s water gently rippling as a small stream of water from a cave wall poured into the lake.

Faint whispers could be heard, almost sounding like talking. Were those the ghosts Cranium mentioned? Some whispers shrieked with laughter, others sounded suspicious of the new visitors. This room felt almost ethereal, was Sophie really there with all the other ghosts?

“It’s beautiful.” Noodle breathed, taking in the sights. Ember nodded in agreement, stepping beside the pool and gazing into the water. The water was surprisingly clear, so clear that Ember could see how deep it went. It looked like it was bottomless at first, and Ember wasn’t sure whether it was actually bottomless or if it was just really deep.

“This is where I talk to my ghost friends.” Cranium sat down beside Ember as she gazed into the water. “You want to meet your sister, correct?”

“Yes.” Ember sounded almost dazed as she stared into the water. She could’ve sworn she saw fuzzy shapes in the lake water, moving about and keeping a close eye on her. Were those ghosts? Ember sat down, staring into the lake.

“Just keep looking. I’ll call her for you, alright?” Cranium stepped away from Ember, and she nodded faintly in reply. She stared into the water, trying to get even the faintest gaze of her sister. She’d give anything just to see her one last time, just to tell her she was sorry, just to tell her that she loved her, even if it was for the last time.

A few minutes past. How long would it be until she saw her? Surely she would see her in the pool? Ember continued to gaze into the pool, waiting for even just a glimpse. It felt like hours had passed, what if she didn’t see her? No, she couldn’t believe that. She just had to keep trying…

Closing her eyes, she set a prayer that she’d see her just once. But at that moment, Noodle suddenly let out a shriek. “Ember!”

Before Ember knew it she felt a heavy force slam into her back. Ember let out a shriek that was cut short as water suddenly logged at her body. Straining to see what had happened, through the clear water, Ember saw dark blue paws slammed onto her. If Ember wasn’t underwater she would’ve screamed seeing the Ninetales making an attempt to drown her.

And then a new figure plunged into the water. Noodle swam down like a bullet, slamming her tail onto Cranium which caused him to separate from Ember, and in that instant, Noodle grabbed a hold of Ember and swam back to the surface. Resurfacing, Ember gasped sharply as the cool air suddenly hit her. Turning back to the water, she managed to make out Cranium swim up to the surface as well.

And when the Ninetales did break up he glared right at Ember and Noodle. “You want to see your sister, right? And you want to live a normal life?” No one got a chance to reply before Cranium finished. “Then I’ll make you.”

The whispers suddenly seemed to shriek with laughter, almost as if they were haunting her. Mutters that Ember could hardly make out echoed all around the room, and then Noodle let out a gasp of horror. “It’s a trap!”

Cranium sprung again, grabbing onto Noodle’s tail and plunging her underwater. Struggling to stay afloat, Ember gazed down into the clear water, clear enough to see the battle that had erupted underneath. Noodle fired a Hydro Pump, which Cranium countered with a Shadow Ball. The attacks collided and exploded underwater, flinging the two of them back.

Noodle fired off another Hydro Pump before bursting to the surface, making sure Ember was on her back. Jumping onto dry land, she waited until Ember slid off her back before the Dragonair spoke once more. “We have to go! Now!” She then bolted out of the entrance to the tunnel, Ember swiftly following.

The darkness that was in the tunnel suddenly didn’t seem to matter to Ember. Now all she focused on was getting out alive. This was that feeling of unease that she had felt before entering the tunnel, this feeling that she’d end up dead. She and Noodle managed to break out of the dark tunnel before arriving back in the room where they met Cranium for the first time.

They didn’t get very far into the room before they stopped, hearing his voice. “Not yet.” Turning around, Ember froze, seeing Cranium’s dark blue eyes in the darkness, shortly followed by his whole form. “I am not letting you go until you two are one of us.”

“One of us…?” Ember whispered.

“New friends are always fun to have, right?!” Cranium flashed an insane smile, and Ember felt herself go cold. He wanted to kill them so they could join him.

“Like that’ll happen!” She yelled, kicking a rock, and then the rock burst into flames. Cranium nimbly leapt out of the way, his eyes flashing with insanity. Noodle fired off a Dragon Pulse, but Cranium also dodged that.

“He’s too fast!” She gasped, watching him land and gaze right at her.

“If you die now you’ll get to live life normally. You’ll get to see your sister again. Isn’t that what you two want?!” Cranium smirked.

“Yes, but not like this!” Ember shot back, cloaking herself in flames in an attempt to use Flame Charge. Cranium, however, was faster, as he leapt out of the way of that attack.

“We don’t want to die when we’ve got so much life left to live!” Noodle protested, using Hydro Pump, but that attack was also dodged. Ember slowly felt panic rise up in her body. No matter what they did, Cranium was just too fast. How were they supposed to win like this?

“Too bad. If seeing your sister and a normal life is what you want, then that’s what you’ll get!” Cranium fired a double Shadow Ball, and the two attacks smashed right into Ember and Noodle. The duo got flung back, landing on the cold floor. And before Ember knew it Cranium was right beside her, firing a powerful Dark Pulse right in front of her. Ember’s gasp was stopped as she crashed into the rocky wall and landed limply on the floor.

She heard a primal scream escape from Noodle as she crashed right into Cranium. “Leave her alone! What did she ever do to you?!”

“Her sister died because of her. Ever thought about that?!” Cranium snarled.

“I’m sure it wasn’t her fault! Ember would never do something like that!” As Noodle spoke she slammed an Aqua Tail right on Cranium’s head, but he quickly shook the blow off.

“Ember’s a coward! She lives surrounded by grief!” Cranium fired a close range Dark Pulse.

“She...she’s the best friend I’ve ever met! And the day you understand that is the day you learn that killing isn’t the answer to this! What happened to your friends you mentioned? Do they know about this?!” Noodle unleashed another Dragon Pulse as she spoke.

“I barely remember my friends! I don’t even know what they are! I don’t even remember what they sound like! The only friends I know are the ghosts who joyfully accepted my way of living!”

“You mean the innocent people and Pokemon you killed?!”

“They didn’t have a choice anyway! They wanted to be free of their suffering!”

“By murdering them while their guard was down?!” For a few moments, Noodle stopped, before a pleading look entered her eyes. “Just, please. Let us go. Let us go, and we promise we’ll never hurt you again.”

“You want to live a normal life?! I’ll give you a normal life!” Cranium roared.

Noodle hesitated for a few seconds, before the Dragonair shook herself. “Fine. If you won’t let us go, I’ll make you!” A red aura surrounded Noodle, which Ember quickly recognized as an Outrage.

“You want to die, huh?!” Cranium grinned with insanity as he charged up a Payback. “I’ll make sure you die then!”

The two shrieked as they charged into each other, striking blow after blow. The attacks were relentless and ruthless, and Ember’s eyes widened with horror as she witnessed it all. Blood began to flow from the two Pokemon, staining the cold rocks below. They ripped into each other with each blow, and Ember wasn’t sure who was winning.

That was, until Noodle missed one blow from an Outrage. Seeing his chance, Cranium smashed a Payback into Noodle, making her gasp and fall onto the floor. The Dragonair strained to get up, but Cranium kept going for her. Noodle fought back, however, and the blows just continued on. Ember watched, praying for Noodle to somehow find a weakness and fight back. But eventually, the struggles got weaker and weaker.

And then one more Payback was enough to make Noodle land on the floor with a hard thud. The crown which symbolized her status as a goddess fell off her head and landed beside her. Before she could react Cranium walked up, pressing a paw onto her. Noodle’s eyes strained open, and then it all happened in one quick movement. Cranium swiftly locked his jaws around her throat, and pulled back sharply. A ripping sound was heard for a split second.

The orb on Noodle’s throat rolled across the floor, before coming to a stop. Cranium dropped the chunk of flesh from his jaws, looking down satisfied. Blood rolled down his jaws from where he had bitten. But to Ember, the only thing she could focus on was her friend, who lay there, blood gushing from her throat and spilling onto the rocky floor. Wounds covered her sleek body as she lay there, unmoving.

“No…” Ember choked out. “No!” It was just like when Sophie died all over again. She ran up to Noodle, gazing at her best friend. The Dragonair’s eyes were closed, and she was ominously still. “Noodle! Don’t leave me!” Ember screamed, pressing against her friend as blood ran from her throat and from the wounds which Cranium had inflicted on her.

“She deserved to die. She wanted a normal life, then that’s what she’ll get.” Cranium spoke from behind, but Ember hardly heard. She broke down into sobs, memories flooding her head as she thought about her best friend that she had met ever since she had arrived on this island.

If it wasn’t for Noodle she would’ve drowned when she fell off that ship. If she hadn’t saved her they would’ve never become good friends. If they hadn’t become friends Ember would never have felt happiness for the first time in six years. And now all of that felt like it was for nothing. The goddess of her home and more importantly Ember’s friend, lay dead on the ground, her crown lying just as lifelessly beside her.

Ember wasn’t sure how long she had lay there crying for before she heard footsteps from behind. Turning around, Ember felt the gasp choke inside of her seeing Cranium’s menacing blue eyes. “D...don’t kill me! Please! Please don’t kill me!” She pleaded, stepping back. Cranium approached Ember, looking at her dead in the eyes. Ember felt her heart race with terror, half expecting Cranium to tear her into shreds.

“Please don’t kill me!” She screamed, desperate to knock even the tiniest bit of sense into Cranium. The Ninetales stood menacingly above her, before he lowered his head to meet her eyes. Ember could hardly speak let alone move as she shook in front of his gaze.

“You know what?” Cranium spoke slowly. “I’ll let you go.” Those words felt so unreal, too unreal. Was he really sparing her after what he did to Noodle?

“R...really?” Ember choked out, her voice cracking with grief.

“Just know this; if I see you again, I will kill you.” Cranium warned. Ember didn’t know what to think, but relief began to take over her body at the thought of her being spared. But somehow, the relief felt hollow. No...it wasn’t surprising that the relief felt hollow. She was spared with a price; the death of her best friend.

Cranium stepped away from Ember, looking into her eyes. It took a few moments for Ember to register what had happened, but when she did, she bolted. She bolted out of Cranium’s sight and toward the exit of the tunnel, which somehow felt darker than before. Panic, grief, guilt and sorrow exploded in her body as she ran. Noodle was dead and it was her fault. Was it her fault? Surely if she never followed those flames she’d still be alive?!

And at that moment, she heard whispers. Two whispers which contained voices that Ember thought she’d never hear again. She recognized those voices instantly: Sophie and Noodle. She opened her eyes, trying to see them, but she could detect their presence from the darkness. She could feel herself getting more and more panicked as she ran. Why were Sophie and Noodle there? To torment her that it was her fault that they died?!

She closed her eyes, desperate for the pain and torment to end. But she could still hear their voices. She wasn’t sure what her older sister or her closest friend were saying, but she could detect sorrow in their voices. Ember opened her eyes, her eyes full of panic as she desperately ran to escape the tunnel of grief she was currently in.

The sudden sunlight was almost blinding, but Ember was just relieved that she was out of the tunnels. She kept running, unsure where she was going, unsure where she was, she just wanted to get as far away from the pain as possible. She wanted to go far, far away from the suffering she had endured and just wanted to be happy again…

She wasn’t sure how far she had ran before the ground suddenly vanished beneath her feet. She screamed as she fell down the cliff she didn’t know existed, crashing into a tree before limply landing on the floor. A sharp shriek escaped someone as Ember lay on the floor, sick of crying, sick of running, sick of everything she had to endure.

The person who shrieked was actually a Dreepy named Misma, and the place Ember had landed in was Marigold Town, specifically the Day Care. Ever since that day, Ember wandered the island, trying to find her own happiness once again. Most of the time she just stays alone, thinking about everything that had transpired that led to this moment.

From the moment she snuck off to see that raid to now, she just wants to try and find happiness once again. But after thinking about the happy memories she made with Sophie and Noodle, as well as what Hikari said to her all those weeks ago, a faint spark of hope kindled within Ember. Maybe one day she would find happiness. Maybe one day she’d go back to living life normally. Maybe one day she’d smile with true happiness once again.

She’d make sure of that. She’d make sure she’d find happiness once again. After all...wasn’t that what Sophie and Noodle wanted?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and just like that Ember's Journey is finished!  
> another story down...whew  
> I've had fun with this story, I like writing about my Pokemon OC's  
> what to do next on AO3? who knows...


End file.
